Ultimate Sticky Baked Chicken

My closest friend and I were born literally hours apart, in the same Johannesburg hospital, and both our mothers and grandmothers had been friends for years. Our lives have been intertwined for a lifetime but, despite our commonalities, we've always differed in our approach to cooking. Reluctant to limit herself to following a recipe, this dear friend has routinely stuck to the 'throwing-ingredients-at-the-frozen-meat-and-seeing-what sticks' approach, and saw no reason to change. This year, however, she decided to trust me and made a commitment to adhere to the recipe plan I provided. Oh, what excitement was reported from their Perth household, as she jammed my what's app feed with photographs of spectacular dishes and thrilled reports. "What makes you think everyone loved your chicken?" she texted as she sent me this image of her near-empty platter: I'm passing on the lick-the-plate-clean chicken recipe that was so enthusiastically received, as it's also simply wonderful on the BBQ, making it ideally suited to Succoth dining, and tastes delicious served cold too. Sterling dishes like this make even the best friendships even better....put it to the test and report back!

1 kg chicken pieces with skins on

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon fish-free Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons apricot jam

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger spice

1/2 cup orange juice

1 onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons chutney Sesame seeds to garnish (optional)

1: Arrange chicken pieces, skin side up, in a baking dish and mix remaining ingredients together.

2: Pour over chicken to coat completely and allow to marinate for a minimum of 1 to 2 hours but more is best.

3: Turn chicken pieces over, cover and cook for at 160 C for 50 minutes, then remove foil, turn chicken pieces over again so that the skin now faces upwards, and cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes till the sauce is reduced and chicken is tender. COOK'S NOTES: While the ingredients list may appear lengthy, everything is easy to find and affordable, and this is a marinade you'll be making always so it's well worth having the ingredients in.This dish freezes well. If making ahead of time, don't fully cook, but rather partially cook and then continue cooking after it's been defrosted. Find fish-free Worcestershire sauce at Meatland. Chutney is a wonderfully versatile ingredient here that adds so much flavor. If you're new to chutney, now is a great time to try it!